Knitted fabric



Nov. 25, 1941. W. L. SMITH, .1R 2,263,829

KNI'ITED FABRIC Original Filed March 3, 1939 Patented Nov. 25, 1941 KNITTED FABRIC William L. Smith, Jr., Pawtucket, R.. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts original application March s, 1939, serial No.

Divided and this application October 13, 1941, Serial N0. 414,699

(Cl. (i6-179) 3 Claims.

This invention concerns a new method of knitting split work and the product produced therei by. This case is a division of application Serial #259,607, filed March 3, 1939.

In the figures of drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View showing to a greatly enlarged scale a section of fabric knitted according to one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing a typical split foot stocking knitted in accordance with the method herein described.

Heretofore split foot stockings and other split work have been knitted both by circular and by reciprocatory methods. The method herein described and claimed is practiced by continuous rotation of a circular knitting machine, or other machine of that general type such as is commonly employed for knitting hosiery. Independently operated needles such as latch or spring beard needles may be employed and a certain amount of needle selectivity is desirable at the points at which the sutures are formed, that is, at the junction points between sections of fabric knitted from different yarns. This method and fabric di'er from methods of knitting split work by continuous rotation which have been previously practiced in that there is no overlapping of yarns knitting different areas in the sense there is in said methods previously employed. In those methods the fabrics and suture or connecting wales between adjacent sections knitting from different yarns involve knitting each of the yarns at that point on one or more needles. This meant that each needle at the suture took two or more yarns and thus the suture was in effect a thickened Wale or wales such as in reinforcing. That knitting of the thickened suture involved loading up of needles and also, in the fabric, made it very easy to determine the point of division between two areas knitted by split work.

According to the present method each needle knits one only of the yarns, or at least, only those yarns knitted at one of the areas, at any individual course. There are several different forms of the invention possible and one only will be described in detail herein with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The method involves knitting at two feeds preferably, one yarn knitting at one side such as a main feed of a hosiery machine and the other yarn knitting at an auxiliary or second feed. Each of the yarns, that is, the yarn at each feed, will be fed on each course knitting,

but only for that part of the course in which it is to be knitted, preferably for about one-half the circumference of a knitted tube, although in some hosiery such as stockings having a so-called cradle sole, the division will not be equal but may be of any desired proportion of the needle circle. The yarns fed at this main and auxiliary side will be moved to feeding position and withdrawn at the proper times, preferably in conjunction with a needle division such as is commonly employed in knitting on a definite number of needles less than the whole knitting circle.

Conceivably, needle division alone might be suflicient such as is employed for feeding to a definite group of needles by the so-called silent finger reinforcing. These methods of feeding to 'a group of needles such as one-half the needles, more or less, are well-known as are the mechanism for performing the same and it will not be necessary to make'further description at this point. a

The suture is formed by knitting at one feed, for example, the main feed, on one particular needle or group of needles, and then at the opposite side of the machine, the auxiliary side, knitting on another adjacent needle or needles adjacent to those first ,mentioned in a manner hereinafter to be described in greater detail. The adjacent needles will thus knit first at one side and then at the opposite side in the same course. The last needle knitting the yarn at the main side Will draw a float of that yarn out and across the cylinder, this float being taken up by any satisfactory take-up and extending to the first needle which will again take that "same yarn. Likewise, the same applies to the other or at the auxiliary side and floats from that yarn extend across the fabric thus completing two floats for each course of knitting. These oats may be left in the fabric and cut out vat the completion of the knitted stocking. It is also contemplated to cut these 'floats on the machine itself, any satisfactory cutter being employed for the purpose. Y

While it is possible to employ needle butts of different lengths and suitable cams for manipulation of needles which knit at the suture, it is preferable that needle jacks or extensions of needles be used and that certain cams to be patterned controlled function upon these vjacks. This is a common means of selecting needles for many purposes and need not be described in detail in this case. When jacks are to be employed with the suture needles, these jacks may serve other purposes than that of con-y trolling knitting at the suture. For example,

the heel of the stocking will normally be spaced a few needles distant from the suture line. Jacks/ similar to-those used for the suture may be employed adjacent those needles and can be controlled by other cams which will function at` 'the floats will be cut at one end or one side of the fabric only so that they maytrail around and avoid interference with wrapping yarns being fed at the other side. In this respect, the wrapping would be done only at one side such as the instep side and floats would be disposed of as described in Patent #2,206,097.

Now referring to Fig. l, a section of fabric is illustrated in which two yarns are fed, one at one side and the other at the opposite side of a knitting machine such as above referred to. For example, We will consider the black or shaded yarn I as being fed at the main feed of the machine. While the White or unshaded yarn 2 would be fed at the auxiliary side. Of course, this is merely by way of example since this main and auxiliary feed are designated arbitrarily and the' `halves of the fabric knitted could as well be knitted at one side as the other. Beginning in courseA, at the main side, the loop 3 is the first loop taken by the leading needle which knits at the main side at that time. 'I'his needle knits in Wale I. 'I'he next needle knitting Wale 5 misses the black yarn While the following needle knitting in Wale 3 takes it to knit loop 3. 'I'hus there will be a float 1 between the loops 3 and 3 which are the suture loops at this side knitted from the black yarn. Thereafter the next needle in Wale 3 misses the yarn so that a float I0 is formed whereupon all needles will then knit the said yarn up to the needle knitting in Wale Il at the opposite side of the fabric.

To complete this half course with the black yarn it is floated from the Wale II by a float I2,

to needle loop I3 in Wale Il, then floats at I5 and finally knits loop I3 in Wale I1. Thengthe yarn is Withdrawn and oats across the fabric at I8, this float being shown cut at the Wale I1, it being understood that it ymay be cut as knitting goes on in the machineV or'at some later time.

So much has been said for knitting the half course of black yarn in course A and it must be understood that While that is going on at the main side, White yarn is being knitted at the auxiliary side in practically the lsame manner. That 'white yarn fed in course A is first knitted in a loop I9 in Wale 20 and then a loop 2| in Wale 22. A float 23 connects the two loops. Then the said yarn floats at 2l and knits in loop 25 in Wale 23. It is then knitted around approximately one-half the circumference of the machine to the Wale 21 whereupon it floats at 23, is knitted in loop 29 at Wale 5, then floats at 30 past Wale 6 iinally knitting the loop 3I in Wale 3. It then floats across the knitted tube in a long float 32 which is similar to the previously described float I8. This completes the knitting of one complete course including the suture at each side. It can be seen that the alternation of loops 3, 3 and the previously drawn plain loops at one side and the loops I3, I6 and I9, 2| at the other side forms a sort of interlocking seam which is of only single fabric or single yarn thickness, but which -is auf# nciently strong to withstand pull or strain incident to uses to which the fabric may be put. The floats cross between the various wales at the sutures and this tends to tighten the grip of the loops as they are strained or when attempted to be pulled apart.

What has been described with respect to knitting the course A also applies to the following courses, the machine merely 'duplicating at each course what was "done in the previous course. The float I3 of the black yarn Will be drawn across the needle circle and the next loop 33 drawn- .through the loop 3 is drawn from the extending oat Il designated at the opposite side of numeral I3'. Likewise in this course B the float 32 of the white yarn extends across to the other end designated by numeral 32' which leads to the first loop 34 of White yarn in the said course B.

In the specific illustration of the invention herein described four needles at either side are employed in knitting th'e suture. However, it is not necessary that the particular arrangement of needles herein shown be used since a suture may be knitted With'two needles, one knitting the yarn at the main side and the other knitting that in the auxiliary side. Other schemes may include the employment of an odd number of needles at either side wherein two spaced needles would knit one of the yarns and the intermidiate needle would knit the other. According to another embodiment of the invention spaced needles may include spaced groups of needles. The floats are normally cut fairly close to the point at which they project from the fabric, it merely being necessary to leave enough of the float so that it Would not b'e drawn back through the fabric in normal usage.

The type of split-fabric herein illustrated has certain advantages from the machine point of view in that it is knitted on a two feed machine and entirely by rotary Work. 'I'hus the speed in th'e split portion is greater than that in the ordinary reciprocatory split Work. Since a two feed machine is used, plain rotary Work may be knitted at both feeds further increasing production. In knitting certain types of elastic tops such as the garter tops now more common in mens hosiery and -anklets, certain types are knitted at two distinct feeding stations as in St. Pierre #2,131,720. The auxiliary feeding station hereinbefore described may have means thereat for knitting an elastic yarn to make that type of top after which a yarn change may be made at the beginning of the split-foot.

In Fig. 2 a conventional half-hose has been illustrated 'to show one application of the method and fabric of this case. The half-hose has a leg 35 knitted in rotary Work from a single yarn or from two yarns as by double feed knitting. A top 36 may be a rib top transferred to the needles of the machine before starting the leg portion or may be knitted on the same machine With an elastic yarn incorporated in any of the known Ways to simulate a rib appearance and for purposes of a garter. The instep 31 and the high splice 33 as Well as the sole 39 are all knitted in split Work according to this invention. The suture 40 between the two parts of the fabric would be knitted as in Fig. 1 or in some similar Way. While the suture is shown as clearly visible and prominent in this Fig. 2, in the actual fabric it Will not be clearly perceptible, but in fact Will be rather dimcult to detect except by close examination. Normally a heavier yarn ls used in the high splice and sole than in the instep. The instep will merely appear of lighter fabric than the opposite portions, but will not be separated by a raised seam such as in types of split work in which there is a reinforced, overlapping of fabric. The heel 4I and toe 42 are of usual construction for stockings of this type. The invention is not necessarily applicable only to mens half hose of this sort, but may be used in any type of stocking or hosiery or in other fabrics wherein it is desired to knit two or more parts and to join them as in split fabric, but to conceal the actual knitted seam between the parts.

The invention has beenl described more or less specifically -for purposes of illustration, but is not to be limited other than by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A knitted fabric having sutures comprising a plurality of wales, said wales being formed of loops lmitted from two yarns, spaced ones of Y one only of the yarns is knitted in any single said loops being knitted from one yarn only and intervening loops from the other yarn only and in such a manner that each yarn is discontinuous from a point where last knitted in one suture to a point where introduced at the opposite suture.

2. A knitted fabric formed of courses knitted progressively in one direction and having sutures including a. plurality of wales knitted from loops of diierent yarns but in such a manner that Wale.

3. A knitted fabric comprising continuous courses knitted progressively in a single direc-y tion and having sutures knitted from two yarns, one yarn being knitted at each course and in each of the sutures, but in spaced wales only at a suture and in such a manner that a yarn knitted at one of the wales will be oated'over an adjacent wale in which the other of said yarns is knitted.

WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR. 

